Items related to The Strange Case of Mademoiselle P
Synopsis
Whe Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer takes on the case of Marie Therese Paradies, a young woman stricken inexplicably blind at the age of three, he becomes involved in a tale of good versus evil set in eighteenth-century Vienna. A first novel.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Brian O'Doherty lives in New York where he is available for interview. His Booker Prize 2000 shortlisted novel, The Deposition of Father McGreevy, is also published by Arcadia.
From Kirkus Reviews
Art critic O'Doherty's first novel is a quiet, sure-footed, and sensitive glimpse into the inner workings of Enlightenment Vienna and the world of Mozart, the Empress Maria Theresa, and Dr. Franz Mesmer. In 1777, an 18-year-old girl by the name of Marie Th‚rŠse, named after the great (and reigning) Hapsburg empress, is brought for treatment to Dr. Mesmer, who is known--through his theory of ``animal magnetism''--for having previously cured cases of blindness. The lovely Marie is a gifted pianist whose talent--she plays duets with Mozart and performs often before the royal court- -has already earned her a royal pension. That her blindness is due to no organic flaw in her eyes is determined at once by the intelligent and soothing Dr. Mesmer--but his successful treatment of her hysterical blindness (mainly through massage of the body) also brings about an apparent diminishment in her musical skills. Marie's father, a ruthless courtier who desperately fears losing the remunerative favor of the Empress, is so alarmed at the loss of his daughter's performing ability that he schemes to bring about the disrepute of Dr. Mesmer and finally manages, in the face of the confused hysteria of his own crazed and deluded wife, to wrest her from Dr. Mesmer's care. This domestic and medical drama--unfolded in chapters told by the beleaguered Marie herself, by the good Dr. Mesmer, and by Marie's demonically self-interested father--allows O'Doherty to graze wonderfully amidst the living ideas of the Enlightenment, tasting its daily life, watching the French Revolution pass by, and offering jabs at the inadvertent narrow- mindedness of, for example, the rational Ben Franklin, who plays a part in the Commission denouncing the pre-Freudian Dr. Mesmer. Marie herself is pathetically captivating, and the novel she appears in is an intellectual tour-de-force of quiet powers abounding with nosegays of subtle historical pleasures. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherChatto & Windus
- Publication date1992
- ISBN 10 0701145331
- ISBN 13 9780701145330
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages228
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Strange Case of Mademoiselle P
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR003886562
Quantity: 4 available
Stock Image
The Strange Case of Mademoiselle P
Published by
Chatto & Windus 13/08/1992, 1992
ISBN 10: 0701145331
ISBN 13: 9780701145330
Used
Softcover
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780701145330
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Strange Case of Mademoiselle P
Seller: Reuseabook, Gloucester, GLOS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: UNSPECIFIED. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Seller Inventory # CHL8159702
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Strange Case of Mademoiselle P
Published by
Chatto & Windus 13/08/1992, 1992
ISBN 10: 0701145331
ISBN 13: 9780701145330
Used
Softcover
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780701145330
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The strange case of Mademoiselle P.
Seller: Kennys Bookstore, Olney, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. 1992. Paperback. Good clean copy with some minor shelf wear. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # KKD0003573
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The strange case of Mademoiselle P.
Seller: Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries Ltd., Galway, GY, Ireland
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. 1992. Paperback. Good clean copy with some minor shelf wear. . . . . Seller Inventory # KKD0003573
Quantity: 2 available